English as a Second Language Parent Orientation Lackawanna City School District Martin Road Elementary School

What is our vision? What is our mission? OUR VISION: Our Vision is to educate and support all of our students in meeting or exceeding the New York State Learning Standards necessary to graduate from the Lackawanna City School District and to become contributing members of the community. OUR MISSION: All Faculty and Staff of the Lackawanna City School District will implement and continually refine a well-defined standards- based curriculum which is culturally responsive to the needs of all students in order to develop their academic knowledge and skills, educational and career pursuits, lifelong learning and social responsibility.

Who are our ESL students? Students who: 1.Speak a language other than English at home 2.Are culturally diverse 3.Are from many places in the world, including the U. S. 4.Have different levels of English proficiency 5.Are found in every grade within the school.

What do we do in our ESL classes?  Provide grade level, not remedial, instruction in reading, writing, listening and speaking according to New York State guidelines and the new CCLS  Develop social language skills (“playground talk”)  Use content area concepts and vocabulary to foster academic language acquisition (“school language”)  Assist students’ assimilation into a new culture and/or a new school environment.

What else do our ESL teachers do?  Advocate for your child  Collaborate and share expertise with your child’s content area teacher(s)  Communicate with you regarding your child’s progress  If necessary, arrange translators for parent meetings.

How are our students placed in ESL? The Home Language Questionnaire (HLQ) is completed for all students at registration Students identified as speaking a language other than English at home on the HLQ are given an informal interview with an ESL teacher Based on the informal interview, the ESL teacher will administer the NYS Language Assessment Battery-Revised (LAB-R) Students are placed in ESL based on their results on the LAB-R.

ESL Instructional Requirements ESL Program Instructional Components LevelBeginningIntermediateAdvanced Lang. Arts- ELA/ESL and Content- Area Instruction K-872 min. per day 72 min. per day 36 min. per day min. per day 72 min. per day 36 min. per day

How do we measure our students’ achievement? Students take the New York State English as Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) to determine progress Students’ scores on the NYSESLAT determine their ESL placement for the following school year Students must meet the New York State Language proficiency criteria to exit ESL.

What can you do at home to promote language learning? Read with your child(ren) and ask questions about what they read, in your language and/or in English Take your child(ren) places in the community such as libraries or museums Discuss school with your children in your language or in English Continue to use, and encourage your children to use, your first language Designate a quiet place at home for your children to read and do homework.

ESL is the key to a successful academic future!